Oil procurement: Opposition MPs insist Austin Gatt had duty at law to issue directions

Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami said this afternoon that the Audit Office acted beyond the limits of the law when it claimed that former minister Austin Gatt unduly interfered in oil procurement. Speaking at a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee which is considering a National Audit Office (NAO) report on oil procurement procedures, Dr Fenech Adami said the Enemalta Act gave the minister the right and duty to issue instructions in the public interest, and the law on the Audit-Office precluded the auditor for questioning government policies. 'UNDUE MINISTERIAL INTERFERENCE' The issue on the reference in the report to 'undue ministerial interference' was first raised by committee chairman Jason Azzopardi, who asked the NAO officials to explain their comment. The officials said the minister had a duty to set political direction but not to go into a certain level of detail when decisions were taken. Dr Azzopardi noted that during the period under study, Enemalta profited by €19 million in hedging. Wasn't that a result of good policy direction? Mr Charles Deguara, deputy Auditor-General, said the minister's role stopped at policy level. Dr Fenech Adami said the audit report...